Several new details emerged Tuesday about the horrific, livestreamed massacre carried out by a gunman who killed five colleagues at a bank office in Louisville, Kentucky, on Monday morning.
Louisville Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel identified the suspect as 23-year-old Connor Sturgeon, an employee at the Old National Bank. Officials said Tuesday that Sturgeon used an AR-15 he’d purchased legally on April 4, told at least one person that he was suicidal and intent on causing harm shortly before the attack, and left a note.
In a statement to WDRB News, Sturgeon’s family said that while he had “mental health challenges which we, as a family, were actively addressing, there were never any warning signs or indications he was capable of this shocking act.” He sent a text to his family before the massacre, saying “I love you,” a family attorney added.
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Gwinn-Villaroel said Sturgeon was livestreaming throughout the attack, which also left nine people injured, including three police officers. Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, confirmed it “quickly removed” the stream after it was uploaded. But an unnamed city official provided details to CNN early Tuesday, saying the attack only lasted about a minute.
According to the source, the weapon was clearly visible at the beginning of the livestream as the shooter entered the bank. There, he was reportedly greeted by a worker who wished him a good morning. “You need to get out of here,” the gunman reportedly told the woman—before attempting to shoot her in the back.
The shooting unfolded at the start of the work day.
LEANDRO LOZADA/AFP via GettyThe official said the attempt failed because the weapon was unloaded and its safety was on. After taking the safety off and loading the rifle properly, the gunman then shot the woman in the back, the source said. It’s not clear if she survived.
The shooter then opened fire at people inside the bank as they attempted to drop to the floor, according to the official, who added that the gunman didn’t go to any floors where other employees were present. The attack started at around 8:38 a.m., before the bank had opened to the public.
After around one minute of carnage, the gunman sat in the lobby and waited for cops, who arrived about 90 seconds later, the official said. Police released a surveillance image Tuesday showing Sturgeon standing among broken glass waiting for officers to arrive, as well as an image of him arriving at the Old National Bank office with a rifle in hand.
Police also released body-cam footage showing Sturgeon firing on two cops from behind the office’s reflective glass as soon as they arrived on scene. Officer Nickolas Wilt, a rookie on his fourth shift, was struck in the head. His field training officer, Cory Galloway, was initially knocked off his feet by the shots but managed to take cover until he could figure out where the shooter was, and then take him down.
Wilt, 26, ran “unflinchingly” towards the danger, Gwinn-Villaroel said, and he remained in critical but stable condition on Tuesday. Galloway suffered a graze from a gunshot.
On Tuesday, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said media reports that Sturgeon had been fired, or was on the verge of being fired, were incorrect. He was still employed by the bank and had access to the building as a result, Greenberg said.
“This was targeted,” Gwinn-Villaroel said. “He knew those individuals because he worked there and the evil that played out [yesterday], taking those lives and injuring so many others, it’s just truly unfortunate.”
Speaking at Tuesday's press conference, an impassioned Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-KY) called on lawmakers to make it harder for people to purchase guns on a whim, and criticized Republicans who’ve recently focused on “banning books” and “pronouns” instead of the increasingly common mass shootings that have ravaged communities.
“If you are a person of faith we welcome your prayers,” McGarvey said. “But we need policies in place to prevent this from happening again. We need bipartisan action to stop this.”
On Monday, a former friend and teammate of Sturgeon’s from Floyd Central High School in Floyds Knob, Indiana, told The Daily Beast that Sturgeon was smart and popular during his school days. The friend said that Sturgeon had worn a helmet during basketball games after suffering “multiple concussions.” In a 2018 essay written while at the University of Alabama, Sturgeon wrote that he struggled with his self-esteem and with making friends.
Police confirmed the names of those killed in the attack as Old National Bank staff Tommy Elliott, 63, Jim Tutt, 64, Josh Barrick, 40, Juliana Farmer, 57, and Deana Eckert, 57.
Dr. Jason Smith of UofL Health said the hospital burned through 170 units of blood to treat victims—an amount that “far outstrips” the hospital's usual capacity.
